When gambling as an industry was in its infancy, the lure of the possibility of winning big money was enough to attract players. Casinos as envisioned today were a concept yet to be considered, gaming machines were relatively sparse, and the expense of travel (both financially and temporally) limited players' options.
The growth shown by Las Vegas, Nev., Atlantic City, N.J., and other gambling hot spots, the variety of different gaming devices, and the ability to travel long distances quickly and cheaply have conspired to change the player's perception of the industry. There are near-infinite variations of gaming devices, and the increasing number of casinos provides players with many choices as to where to spend their time (and money).
To entice players to play the gaming devices, many casinos now offer bonuses. The bonuses entice players because they offer the chance to increase the amount of a jackpot beyond that listed on the given machine, or an opportunity to win a separate bonus in parallel. A player might be more interested in playing a machine if he has the chance to win a payout, even if not hitting a winning combination for that machine.
But even where bonuses are offered, the bonuses are limited. One player wins the bonus, and all other players are left to consider what might have been.
Embodiments of the invention address these problems and others in the art.